EP: The Marder – Men’s Ruin

The boast on the CD is that this debut EP is produced by Steve Albini (of Pixies fame) and my immediate reaction is a cynical one. If the band is any good, why is it that the producer is the main pulling point? It makes me think that there’s a quality deficit somewhere, and that suspicion proves correct.

Like so many bands, The Marder isn’t that bad. They’re earnest and full of heart, but they’re also stuck in that indie Libertines bog we’re finally and thankfully pulling away from. And like Atreyu’s horse in The Never Ending Story they’re going to be stuck there, refusing to move until the mud drowns them.

I started out writing for the Manchester Evening News as a freelance journalist back in 2008. The idea that I would be given free access to music and gigs seemed somehow miraculous to me, and I proceeded to take full advantage of the situation. When the M.E.N. decided to constrict its coverage to only the very biggest bands, Simon Poole approached me with a plan to make sure that all the very talented musicians of this world that pass through and/or live in Manchester would not go unnoticed. As the New Releases editor here at Silent Radio Towers, it remains my proud duty to cast a critical eye over the music and reviews that come my way in a manner that is both supportive and fair. Above all, I strive to write as entertainingly possible. Favourite musicians include the Pixies, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Mercury Rev, Os Mutantes, The Knife, Beach House etc etc. I'm a firm believer that all genres (except nu-metal) contain music of great quality...